Conventional approaches to compartmental osteoarthritis and other joint maladies have included placing a brace on the limb surrounding the joint. Such braces aim to impart force or leverage on the joint in order to relieve compressive forces within a portion of the joint, or to reduce the load on that portion. For instance, in knee compartmental osteoarthritis situations, braces have been employed which feature rigid bars situated on the leg opposite or adjacent to the affected compartment of the knee. The bars include medial/lateral hinges which allow portions of the bars to be pivoted or swiveled in the frontal (varus/valgus) plane with respect to one another and locked into a desired configuration. The brace so configured when installed on the knee then imparts leverage at least partially to unload the affected compartment, and the adjustable hinges allow the magnitude of the force to be controlled or varied. Such adjustable hinges may employ set screws or other adjustment structure. Often, however, the adjustment structure requires use of a special tool and virtually always introduces bulkiness accompanied, paradoxically, by structural compromise and complexity.